Bag stringing machine



16 Sheds-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 26, 1942 W m j April 24, 1945. E: E. WEST BAG STRINGING MACHlNE Filed Jan. 26, 1942 16 Sheets-Sheet 2 fir 70 74/49 vs April 24, 1945' E. E. WEST BAG STRINGING MACHINE Filed Jam 26, 1942 16 Sheets-Sheet 5 [A/VEA/TOR April 24, 1945. 5, w s 2,374,572

BAG STRINGING MACHINE Filed Jan. 26, 1942. 16 Sheets-Sheet s April 24, .1945; E. E. WEST BAG STRINGING MACHINE Filed Jan. 26, 1942 1a Sheets-Sheet s April 24, 1945. E. E. WEST BAG STRINGING MACHINE Filed Jan. 26, 1942 16 Sheets-Sheet 7 April 24, 1945. E. E. WEST BAG STRINGING MACHINE Filed Jan. 26,1942 l6 Sheets-Shet 8 V fva/g/vro W. a. W;

April 24, 1945. E; E. WEST I BAG STRINGING MACI 'IINE Filed Jan. 26, 1942 l6 Sheets-Sheet 9 u l l l l I V .1 m m l l lflml l v Hwl 1. v I It I...

April 24, 1945. E. E. wEsT 2,374,572

BAG S TRINGING MACHINE Filed Jan. .26, 1942 16 Sheets-Sheet l0 N. n .N mxw NMM April 24, 1945. E. E. WEST BAG STRINGING MACHINE 16 Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed Jan. 26, 1942 April 24, 1945. E. E. WEST V BAG STRINGING MACHINE 16 Sheets-Sheet 12 Filed Jan. 26, 1942 April 24,1945. 5. 5, WEST 2,374,572

BAG STRINGING MACHINE Filed Jan. '26,' 1942 16 Sheets$heet l4 April 24, 1945. 5 WEST 2,374,572

BAG STRINGING MACHINE Filed Jan. 26, 1942 16 Sheets-Sheet 1s April 24, 1945.

E. EQWEST BAG STRINGING MACHINE Filed J ah. 26, 1942 16 Sheets-Sheet l6 WWR MW theturret head and the bag hem line 33 of Figure Patented Apr. 24, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ,BAG STRINGING Edward E. West, Richmond,- Va. Application January 26, 1942, Serial No. 428,280 29 cla ms, (01. 112-2 This invention relates toimprovements in bag stringing machines. i

The principal object of the present invention is to provide bag supporting, gripping, turning and delivering mechanism for bag stringing machines. i

Another object is the provision of improved bag supporting, gripping, turning and delivering mechanism particularly adaptable for use with bag machines for stringing bags on the outside.

Another object is the provision of improved bag supporting, gripping bag opening and delivering mechanism, having means associated therewith for automatically stopping the machine,

at various stations, to prevent improperly strung bags from passing through the machine.

Another object is .to provide an improved bag stringing machine incorporating automatic stopping means for stopping the machine at various stations, and automatic needle inspecting and knot testingmeans for rejecting improperly strung bags. 1 I 1 Another object is to provide an improved bag stringing machine having automatic stop, needle inspecting, knot testin and bag counting mechanism associated and synchronized therewith. 1

A further object is the provision of improved feeding, gripping and turningmechanism for bag stringing machines. I

Still another object is the provision of an improved bag stringing machine having bag delivering and automatic counting mechanism associ ated therewith for counting a predetermined 'ber. partly in sectionand taken on'the line 2-2 of Figure 1; v

Figure 3 is 'a plan View, partly in section, of grippers, on the Figure 4 is a side elevation of the turret head,

stringing and,

pair of knot testers; l Figure 16 is a perspective view of aportion of partly in section and taken on the line 4--4 which is a portion of the line 22 of Figure 1;

1 Figure 5 is an enlarged View, similar to Figure tuating the kno'tter, bag delivering paddle and releasing the bag grippers;

Figure 7 is a section of the line l-'! which is a portion of theline 2-2 of Figure 1, showing the bag hopper, and bag rejection solenoid;

Figure 8 is a front elevation of the stringing machine, looking in the direction of the arrows 88 of Figure 1, showing the main driving mechanism and associated operating cams and levers;

Figure 9 is adiagrammatic view of the automatic stop mechanism for stopping the machine at the various feeding, turning, gripping and knotting stations;

1 Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view of the automatic bag rejecting and counting mechanism for counting the properly strung and rejecting the improperly strung and/or knotted bags; Figure 11 is a side elevation of the clutch release solenoid and associated operating linkage;

Figure 12 is a plan view of one pair of grippers and the bag pushing and bag opening fingers, in the positions they assume when a bag is gripped and opened preparatory tobeing strung;

Figure 13 is a section on the line l3l3 of Figure 12;

Figure 14 is a side elevation of one pair of the gripper jaws in the position they assume when the bag has been turned right side outby the turner member; 1

Figure 15 is a perspective view of one of the the bag, after being turned right side out and strungy Figure 17 is a plan view of the leitand right, hand knotters and bag delivering paddle.

Figure 18 is a sideelevation of the bag deliverin g paddle and associated. operating andbag rejecting mechanism showing the paddle in full line open position, and in the right hand dotted line position showing the lower paddle jaw as it starts to open; i t

Figure 19 is a side elevation of the bag rejecting mechanism, and a portion of the delivering ing and cutting mechanism which engages the hems of the successively fed bags, severs the connecting seam threads, and carries successive bags into one pair of horizontally disposed grippers, there being four radially extending pairs of gripping members mounted on a rotating turret head. The bags ar then turned right side out, preparator to being operated upon by a stringing mechanism, after which the bags are removed from the turret head grippers and are delivered to a receptacle. Automatic stop, bag rejecting and'counting mechanism is associated with the various feeding, turning, stringing, and delivering means for automatically stopping the machine, at various stations should the machine fail to function properly, and rejecting the improperly strung and counting the properly strung bags, as they are positioned within the bag receptacle.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, the numeral I designates a substantially flat, rectangular feed or transfer plate which is rigidly supported by suitable brackets 2 (see FigureZ), secured to a side wall 4 of the main machine frame 3. A pair of spaced, longitudinally extending, bag guide runners 5, suitably secured by screws orthe like 6 to the top face of the plate I, cooperate with the plate to provide a guide or runway along which chain-connected, hemmed bag blanks I are fed from a source'of supply, not shown. A pair of forwardly extending, substantially flat, spaced spring fingers 8 (see Figures 1 and 2), secured at their rear ends to the runners 5, as at 8C, lightly rest upon the top surfaces of the bag blanks I and serve to retain the same in proper align ment, asthe bag blanks are fed along the feed plate I, between the runners 5.

The thread connected bag blanks I are pushed forwardly along the feed plate .I by a pair of spaced, forwardly and downwardl extending, relatively fiat. bag pusher fingers R, secured by bolts ID to the bottom face of a pair of blocks I I carried by the outer ends of a pair of laterally extending rods I2. projecting through a longitudinal guide slot 43 in the side wall 4. The rods I2 are fixedlymounted within a vertically disposed block M, slidably arranged in the guide slot I3. This structure, as well as the following feeding mechanism is described in detail, in mypending application, Serial No, 357,457 filed Septemher 19, 1940. The fingers 9 extend underneath and into the top hem I6 of the bag blank .'I and the same are reciprocated forwardly, relative to the stationary feed plate I, to advance the bag blank thereon, by means of a vertical lever I! (see Figure 2.), pivotally connected, at its upper end, to the block I4 and. at its lower end. to the frame 3. A cam roller I 8., carried by the lever 41,, rides in a cam groove '29 in the side face of a cam disc I9 shown in Figure 2, mounted on a transverse drive shaft .2! ion-mailed in the frame 3, and a ,gear 22 on shaft 2| (see Figure l meshes with a gear 24, on a main longitudinal drive shaft 23. Rotation of the cam I9 actuates the lever I1 and reciprocates the block I4 in the guide slot I3 whereby the pusher fingers 9 are moved forwardly on the feed plate I, and there- Iby move or advance the foremost bag blank I, of the chain of bags, intermittently beneath a pair of cutters, presently described.

An electric motor I80, of conventional construction and controlled by 'a switch I8I, is suitably mounted on the base frame and constitutes the source of power for operating the machine (see Figures 8 and 9). The drive shaft I82, of the motor, carries a pulley I83 which is drivingly connected, by a belt I85, with a pulley I84, loosely sleeved on a transverse shaft I86 which is journalled in bearings I81 on the base. A suitable clutch 181, of conventional construction, sleeved on the shaft 186 and attached to the pulley I84, frictionally engages with the side face of a clutch disc. i853, mounted on the shaft I86. The clutch able means, such as a yoke member I 89 pivotally mounted'as at IBI, in a bracketl90. The outer end of the yoke I89 is pivoted to the lower end of an upstanding rod I92, in turn connected, at its upper end-to the end of a trip arm I93. The trip arm I93 is pivoted, adjacent one'end as at I94, to the side of the frame, and its other end is formed with a taper I95 (see Figure 11) which is adapted to normally engage with a recess I91 in the upper end of an arm I96, in turn pivoted, as at I96, to the side of the machine frame. The lower end of the arm I96 is pivoted to an armature or plunger I93 of a clutch release solenoid I99, mounted on the frame and of conventional construction, hereinafter described. The free end of the triparm I93 is adapted to be engagedby the lower end of a vertically disposed rod 200, mounted in a bracket 20!, on the side of the frame, and movable vertically into engagement with the end of the trip arm I93, against the tension of a coil spring 202, to depress the, tapered end I of the trip arm I 93, into locking engagement with the red I 96. In this position. the clutch I8'lis in en agement with and drives the clutch disc IBfl. A sprocket 2B3, as'shown in Figure 8, mounted on transverse shaft I86 and connected to the clutch disc I88 by pins or the like (not shown) is drivingly connectediby a flexible chain 205 with a sprocket 205 mounted on the end of the shaft 2m of a conventional gear reduction unit 206. The shaft 291 is drivingl connected by means of the gearing of this unit to a' second shaft 208, which carries a sprocketZIlS and serves to 'drive a sprocket am on the main longitudinal drive shaft 23 (see Figures 1, 6 and 8), through a flexible chain 2 I I. Thus, the main drive shaft 23 of the stringing machine is driven by the motor I 80, and the clutch mechanism permits of the drive shaft being automatically disengaged, at various stages of the bag stringing should a bag be improperly fed, gripped. turned and/or strung, as will be later described.

A. forwardly extending, relatively flat, bag opening finger 25, as best shown in Figures 1 and 2, is secured to each inner end of a pair of top and bottom rock shafts 2B. journalled in a pair of laterally extending bearings El; carried by the block I 4 and a downwardly. depending arm 28, integrally formed thereon. The bearings v2i extend through the slot I3 and a second.

slot I3; Fixed to the extended outer ends of "the rock shafts 25 are a pair of segmentgears 29, in mesh with each other, with theUupper segment gear having a forwardly extending,

substantially horizontally disposed trip arm 30, suitably secured thereto. The arm'30' is .provided with a beveled -or forwardly extending and upwardly sloping bottom face 3| which is adapted to engage with and ride over a roller 32, carried by a laterally extending'stub shaft 33, shown in Figure 1, journalled in abearing 34 seclured to the side frame wall 4. Forward travel; of'the block l4, :due to the rotation of ca-m l9, causes the pair of pusher fingers 9'to enter into or underneath the top hem l6 adjacent theside edges thereof, and the opening fingers 25 to enter into or'underneaththe top side edges of the hems. During the forward grippers GIL-62, so thatthe bag maybe turned right side out, preparatory to being strungb .While the foremost bag blank 1 of the chain of bags is being advanced along the feed plate I, by the pusher fingers 9, it is necessary to sever the connecting bag threads. Thus, a pair of substantially L-shaped thread cutters 41, extend upwardly and are vertically movable through guide slots 48, in the feed plate I, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, adjacent the forward endsof the bag guide runners 5, and are movand bottom hems l6 and 35 intermediatethe travel of the block M, the beveled face 3| of arm 3'] slides over the roller 32 thereby raising or elevating the arm 30, and rocking the top rock shaft 26 and segment gear 29 in a clockwise direction, viewing Figure 2, which in turn rocks the lower segment gear 29 androck shaft 26 in an opposing or counter-clockwise direction,

thus causingthe fingers to open or expand "the mouth of the bag. t

r a 'Fixedly secured to a collar 36 on the inner end of-the topirock shaft 26 is a forwardly and downwardly extending, relatively flat, tongue31,

as best shown in Figure 2, having the lower end thereof bent, as at 38. The tongue 31 substantially overlies and is normally spaced from the top bagopening finger 25, and the bent end 38 ofithe latter engages with the upper face of the top bag-hem 16 (see Figures 12 and 13), when the; mouth end of the bag has been expanded to open position by the bag opening fingers 25 aslbest shown in Figure 13. An upstanding lug 39 is carried by a stub shaft 40 journalled in the end of a forwardly projecting arm llfwhich is fixed to a horizontal cross rod 42 mountedin a vertical bracket 43 (see Figure 1) on the frame and the side wall 4. The lug 39 is normally retained in vertical position by 'ineansbf a spring or the like 44, connected to the lug and cross rod 42. opening finger 25 enters the bottom bag hem As the bottom bag 35, and coacts with the top bpening finger to open themouth end of the bag, the bottom hem" "3 5 is pushed, by thebottom finger25,into a groove or slot 46 in the rear facei45 of thelug and is momentarily clamped or positioned therein, as best shown in Figure 13. Thus, the

tongue3l, bears upon the upper face of the top bag hem l6, and the lug 39 engages the bottom hem ,*preventing the hems fromslipping or.

tive cutting edges ooact with cutting edges,'see

Fig, 1, on the upper ends of the slots 43 and thereby shear or sever the connecting bag threads. *The rock shaft 5!! extends through an openingin the side wall 4 of the ma'chineframe, above the guide slot l3, and ispivotally moved or rocked, during the reciprocation of thefeedotherwise being dislodged from the respective bag opening fingers 25. This is a desirable and I important feature because it assures of the bag.

mouth being held in open position to permitof the bag being turned right side out;

During the forward travel of theblock M in.

the guide slot 13, the bag pusher fingers 9, hav

ing been inserted within the hem l5, push the bag forwardly along the feed plate I and advance the hemmed mouth thereof into a pair of grippers 69-62, mounted on arotating turret head, presently described (see Figures 3. 4 and 5). .The bag opening fingers 25, having beeninserted in the top and bottom hems l6 and 35.

are moved in opposing directions by the rock shafts 26; as hereinbefore described, to expand or open the mouth of the bag, after the same has been gripzped or clamped by the turrethead ing carriage, by virtue of a trip mechanism corresponding sub-stantiallyin structure with that illustrated and described in my pending application, SerialNo. 357,457, previouslyreferred to. The bag pusher finger 9 and opening fingers 25 enter the top and bottom hems l635"of the bagblank 7, while the latter is stationary on the feed plate I, with the hems to the rearo'f the cutters 41, the cutting of the threads being effected while the bag is in motion. When the connecting bag threads have been severed, the pusher fingers 9 deliver the foremost bag to the gripping means and 62 on the rotating turret head, hereinafter described, which serves to grip and support the bag in position while the same is being turned right side out. Ifhe turret'head then successively rotates the bag to a vertical stringing. station. and thence to a horizontal, station, Where the strung bag is removedtherefrom and delivered to a hopper IH. ,Theturret head isintermittently rotated, to carry the bag grippers to the various stations, by any suitable means, such as a Geneva movement, not shown,

corresponding in structure with the Geneva mechanism of my Patent No. 2,274,622.

At this point, provision is made for automatically stopping the machine, if the supply of bags runs out or a bag is improperly fed along the feed plate I, thus preventing thecontinued operation of the stringing'mechan smwithout a bag being acted upon. For this purpose, one of the fiat, metal, spring bag tensioning fingers 8,

secured to the rear ends of thebag guide runners 5, on the feed plate 4. is insulated' from the frame and is provided with an electrical connectionlsee Figure 9) to be later more particularly described. During the feeding of the bags along the feed plate, by the feeding carriage, if the pusher fingers 9 fail to pick up a bag; due to the supply thereof being exhausted, the bag tensioning finger 8, which isordinarily insulated.

from the plate by the bag material, will make a. metal to metal contact with the feed plate I, Thefiattened ends of the springs B are of sufficient length to always hear or rest on one or the other of the connected-bag blanksso the springs will not engage and'make a metalto metal contact with the feed plate I In other the respective sleeves constitute a pair.

words, if the flattened ends'of the springs 8 are engaged by :any part of a bag, the same-will be spaced or elevated above the face of the feed plate and no metal to metal contact is made therebetween. On the other hand,,i-f the supply of bags runs out and the pusher fingers fail to pick up a bag, the springs 8 will, of course, drop into contact with and make a metal to metal contact with the plate thereby closing the circuit; The-electric circuit is thus closed and the stop mechanism is operated to disengage the clutch I81 and to stop the machine thereby enabling the operator to remedy the defect in the bag feeding mechanism, before resuming operations. l

The bag holding turret head (see Figures 3,4 and comprises a shaft 52, journalled in the spaced side walls 44 of the machine frame.

A pair of sleeves 53 are mounted upon, and 1 keyed to the shaft 52, each of the sleeves being provided with four stub arms 54, arranged in pairs, that is, the oppositely disposed arms of The outer ends of the arms 54 are squared or enlarged, as at 55, and bores 56 extend therethrough, within which are fixedly mounted bushings or sleeves '51, as best shown in Figure 5, A tube 58, sleeved within each of the bushings 51,

carries a gear 59 and a laterally and rearwardly. extending jaw or finger 6-8 and a rod 6|, having a corresponding laterally and rearwardly extending jaw or finger 62 is sleeved within the tube 58. The rod '6I moves vertically within the tube 58 and the lower end thereof seats upon the upper end of acoil spring 6I, positioned in rounded lower end 66 of a downwardly depend,

ing rod 65, carried in the outer end of an arm 6-I, pivoted, as at '68 to the stub arm 54. The inner end of the arm 61 is formed with an offset 69 and a taper or point 1-9. The offset and taperedend of the arm extends through an opening H in the lower end of the stub arm and is adapted to engage with an annular cam track I3 on the inner face of one of two camdiscs l2, sleeved on the turret head shaft 52. v

The two cam discs 12 are secured together and I held in spaced relation by a screw I4 (see Figures 4 and 5). Fixedly secured tothe inner faces of the cam discs are a pair of spaced, parallel side plates 11, as best shown in Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5, connected at their lower ends by a cross rod I8. The cross rod 18 of the arm is adapted to be engaged by the bent upper end 69 of a vertically disposed lever I9 (see Figure 4) carried by the inner end of a horizontally disposed stub shaft 8I, projecting laterally from and journall-ed in the spaced side walls 83 of a cam box 82 .(see Figure 8), mounted on the main frame 3. The stub shaft BI is rocked through the medium of an upstanding lever 84, pivoted at its upper end to the lower end of a link 85, the latter in turn being pivoted at its upper end to a vertically disposed lever '86 (see Figure 8). The lower end of the lever 86 is fulcrumed to a block 88 in the box 82, and the lever 86 carries a cam roller 89 (see Figure l) which rides in a groove 9I formed in 'the'faceof a cam disc 99, carried by the transverse drive shaft 21. Upon clockwise rotation of thevcam 9i], the stub shaft 8| is rotated in a corresponding direction, through the connecting levers and links 86, 85 and 84, whereby the vertical lever 19 is rocked forwardly to cause the bent upper end 89 thereof to engage the cross rod FIB, of the arm 15, and rock the arm 15 and cams 12 in a corresponding clockwise direction, viewing Figure 4. Rotation of the cams I2 causes the arms 61 to be rocked about their pivots and. the outer ends thereof to be moved downwardly thereby pushing the rods 65 against the upper ends of the rods BI. The rods GI are thus forced downwardly in the tubes 58 against the tension of springs 61, and the top gripping jaws 62 are moved downwardly against and ingripping position with respect to the bottom jaws 68. This results in the gripping jaws 6062 engaging with and gripping the sides of the top and bottom bag heme Iii-35, as best shown in Figurev 12. With the bag hems in this gripped position, the bag opening fingers are expanded to open the mouth of the bag, to permit of the bag being turned right side out, as presently described.

When an opened bag is gripped and supported in substantially horizontal position, by the pairs of gripping jaws -62, the bag is engaged by a curved turner member or plate 92 (see Figure 2). The turner member 92 is adiustably secured, by bolts or the like 93, to the curved upper end of a lever 94, which is carried by the inner end of a stub shaft 95, journalled in the side walls 83 of the cam box 82. The shaft 95 is rocked by a vertical lever 96 pivoted, at its upper end, to a linlg 91 in turn pivoted to the upper end of a lever 98. The lower end of the lever 98 is journalled in a block 99, in the cam box, and a cam roller I (see Figures 1 and 8), mounted on the lever 98, rides in a cam groove I 0| in the side face of one of two cam discs'90. Rotation of the cam 90, in the clockwise direction, previously described, actuates the lever 98, link 91, lever 9-5 and rocks the shaft so that the lever '94 and turner member 92 are swung upwardly and for- Wardly in an arc.

The upper end of theturner member 92 is thereby moved upwardly through a longitudinal slot I92 (see Figure 1) in the.for-

ward end of the feed plate I, into engagement with the bottom face of the gripped bag, to the rear of the bottom hem 35 and intermediate the pairs of side hem gripping jaws .6062,-as best illustrated in Figure 13. Continued travel of the member 92 causes the bottom face of the bag I to be pushed forwardly'through the mouth thereof which i expanded or opened-andgripped .by

closed end of the opened bag or otherwise fails to properly turn the bag right side out,provision is made for automatically stopping the machine, at this station, to enable the operator to remedy the trouble or to remove the bag from the machine. Thus, an upstanding spring steel, leaf contact 2 I5 (see Figure 5) is secured by a screw 2I6 to the upper end of one of the arms TI and normally insulated from the machine bythe bag cloth on the turner 92. end of ,the bag is not properly opened by the opening fingers 25, and the turner 92 should miss the bag, the head of the turner will engagewith and make a metal to metal contact with the leaf contact member 215. This completes the stop However, if the mouth 7 

